Herbert F. Bairy - Traumspiel (1979)

Ferdinand Försch, born 1951 in Bad Brückenau, Bavaria, is a sound sculptor who released only one album under his Herbert F. Bairy alias in 1979.  Elements of progressive rock, jazz rock, classical, world music and more all combined into what the liner notes, explaining the "dream game" title, described as "...four musical playgrounds.  The listening dreamer may find his own music in it."

I'm hearing some mid-late 70s Popol Vuh reference points here, particularly in the two longest tracks, with perhaps the hypnotic spiritual minimalism of Fricke's sound world toned down into something a little more conventionally prog, but no less fascinating and worthy of repeat immersion.  Some common ground with "ethnic fusion"-style bands like Between as well.  I actually hovered over the 'krautrock' tag for this post, before deciding it was a bit of a stretch.... maybe if it had been released a few years earlier, and was more improvisatory in nature.

Whatever it is, Traumspiel is a wonderful record, fleshed out at various points by a dozen other musicians.  Wordless voices, lysergic lead guitars, piano & synth, cello, tablas... you name it.  The second track, Runnin', has a definite jazz fusion influence to it, before the almost 15 minutes of Lady Ollala combine eerie drones, lead guitar & acoustic, synths, bells and more for what's probably the highlight of the album.  A definite cult classic.

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